The Law of the Inner Circle – David

David and His Inner Circle

Reflecting on David and the people he gathered around him reveals some interesting insights.

1. He began building a strong inner circle before he needed it.

David began building his team long before he was crowned king. 1 Chronicles points out that many of the warriors who joined David were leaders (1 Chronicles 12:14). David did not simply attract just anyone, but strong leaders.

2. He attracted people with different gifts.

David attracted men with a wide range of abilities, experienced warriors with a variety of skills — ambidextrous archers, slingers, and spearmen — many mighty and brave men, and hundreds of captains. With the help of these men, David felt ready for anything.

3. He produced loyalty.

David's followers showed him incredible loyalty throughout his entire life. In his early days, three of his men risked their lives to bring him water from a favorite well in Bethlehem. Decades later, his closest men stayed by his side even when it looked as if Absalom would destroy his father (2 Samuel 15:21). Those closest to David always seemed ready to stake their lives on him.

4. He delegated responsibility based on people's abilities.

David repeatedly handed authority to others. He appointed Joab as commander-in-chief of the army, and he felt just as comfortable handing civil authority to others (1 Chronicles 18:14-17). Of course, delegating responsibility always carries risk — just think of Joab's unilateral decision to kill Abner (2 Samuel 3:22-30). But great leaders take the risk of delegating responsibility in order to reach the highest level of leadership.

Inner-Circle Qualities

The following traits define what it means to belong to an inner circle. Watch for these traits in the people you depend on most:

• Influential

Everything begins with influence. If a leader wants to increase their reach, they must attract and lead other leaders. David attracted numerous people who turned out to be leaders (1 Chronicles 12:23-37). But he didn't just attract people — he attracted genuinely strong leaders.

• Building networks

Who a leader knows is just as important as what they know. When David was hiding from Saul, he was able to escape with the help of those who cared about him.

• Caring

People who care about one another take care of one another. The inner circle should build the leader up. Jonathan is undoubtedly the best example of this in David's life. He loved David unconditionally, encouraged him, and preserved his life.

• Empowering

Members of the inner circle should empower the leader to achieve more than the leader could ever accomplish alone. David's mighty men empowered him to do incredible things.

• Resourceful

Members of the inner circle should always add value. When David wanted to conquer Jerusalem, he offered to make the man who led the attack commander-in-chief of his army (2 Samuel 5:6-10) — and Joab won control of the forces.

• Character-driven

A member of the inner circle's character matters more than any other trait. People of weak character in David's inner circle cost him dearly. But people of strong character helped him avoid difficulties.

• Intuitive

Although every person is intuitive by nature, that doesn't mean everyone should act on their intuition. When a leader looks for members of their inner circle, they rely on those who have learned to trust their instincts.

• Responsible

The people closest to a leader should never let them down. When the leader asks them to carry the ball, they must do it. David's companions made his cause their own.

• Competent

A leader cannot accomplish anything if their people cannot do their jobs. They don't need only world-class players, but all their people must do excellent work. The skills of David's men helped make him great.

• Loyalty

Loyalty alone doesn't make someone a candidate for the inner circle, but a lack of loyalty definitely disqualifies them. David's men remained faithful to him even unto death. A leader should never let anyone get close to them whom they cannot trust.

• Energy

Energy covers a multitude of mistakes, because it helps a person keep coming back, even after they have failed. Without persistence, David and his men would neither have survived in the wilderness nor kept the people safe from their enemies.

When God wants a leader to accomplish something valuable for him, he places people at that leader's side to get the work done. That was true for David, and it will be true for every other leader as well. All the leader has to do is look around.

1 Chronicles 11:10 - 12:40
David's Mighty Men
10 These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.
11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.
12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.
13 He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14 And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance.
15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
16 And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.
17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD.
19 And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.
20 And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.
21 Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.
22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.
23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.
25 Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.
26 Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,
28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite,
29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite,
35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,
36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,
38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri,
39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armourbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,
42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
43 Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite,
45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,
46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,
47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.
David's Followers at Ziklag
1 Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.
2 They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.
3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite,
4 And Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty;
5 Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite,
6 Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite,
7 Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites,
8 And Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
9 And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains;
10 Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
11 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,
12 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
13 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
14 Jeremiah the tenth, Machbanai the eleventh.
15 These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.
16 These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.
17 And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.
18 And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.
19 Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.
20 And there fell some of Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not: for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.
21 As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zilthai, captains of the thousands that were of Manasseh.
22 And they helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host.
23 For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.
David's Army at Hebron
24 And these are the numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war, and came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD.
25 The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.
26 Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and one hundred.
27 Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.
28 And Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred;
29 And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his father's house twenty and two captains.
30 And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.
31 And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.
32 And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed by name, to come and make David king.
33 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
34 Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart.
35 And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty and seven thousand.
36 And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred.
37 And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.
38 And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, an hundred and twenty thousand.
39 All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.
40 And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them.
41 Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.